SPOILER ALERT:This post contains details from Season 5, Episode 11 ofThe CWsAll American.
And if so, what would an exit look like?
DEADLINE:I was pretty shocked to learn that this death was coming.
‘All American’The CW
Is this something youd planned when you opened the writers room for Season 5?
We were so lucky to have Taye Diggs for any amount of time.
What if we dont agree?
And if so, what would an exit look like?
Hes not going to leave his wife and kids to go take a job in Florida.
Then I realized he was silent because he was emotional about it.
I knew going into Season 5 that was what we were going to do.
DEADLINE:I want to talk more about the specifics of how he died.
How did you decide he would be going back onto the bus to save Jabari, of all people?
CARROLL:A lot of thought went into that over the summer before we even started the season.
But I wanted to go deeper than that.
This is a man whose players really are his second set of kids.
Does it become more complicated if he goes back for one of those kids?
Laura cant get mad if he goes back for one of their children.
Was it worth the sacrifice?
Thats something shes gonna have to wrestle with.
Remembering who Billy was and what he stood for and how he loved, of course that makes sense.
He would have gone back for anyone.
So that was the reason we settled on it being Jabari that Billy would go back for.
How is it fair for it to be that his life would be cut short so quickly?
CARROLL:What we perceive as Spencers grief is only going to be the tip of the iceberg.
They lost their dad, she lost her husband.
No matter what Billy meant to us, they come first.
Were definitely gonna see that attitude from the friend group.
I actually think its the beauty of this group.
These kids are the chosen family.
Grief isnt linear, and its so different for so many people.
CARROLL:Truthfully, the characters decided.
We all know Spencer so well.
Weve lived with him for five seasons.
Same went for Olivia and Jordan.
